My story

I grew up in Akron Ohio, where my Dad was a Pastor at Middlebury Chapel, an inner city church.   The church was right in middle of some of the poorest neighborhoods in Akron.

It was nothing unusual to see prostitutes or homeless people right in front of the church.   I can remember the time when I was about 10 seeing a drunk guy get beat with a tire iron by another man across the street from the church as my dad and a few other guys came to break it up.  Kind of traumatizing to see as a kid.   I remember spending countless hours playing basketball at Mason park just a few blocks up the road from the church.  I saw many fights and even guys carrying guns on them while playing ball.   I can remember the church having a food pantry as well as a clothing ministry that reached out to the people right out side the church doors.   It was the type of church where you could show up wearing jeans and a t shirt because more than likely if anyone came of the streets that’s what they’d be wearing.

It was a blessing to have a father who was a Pastor and lived the same way on the stage as when we we’re home just playing ball.  I wasn’t exposed or burned by hypocrisy as a lot of church folks are.

I was however bored with church as I got older but really connected with worship and knew God was real and had a plan for my life.   It wasn’t the type of environment I felt comfortable inviting a friend.    I still was comfortable serving and doing outreach to the poor and the community in need.

In high school I got really involved in playing music in bands and going to shows.  At these shows I always wondered, “What would it take to reach this scene in their culture?”   I started to dream of what Church could look like by making some changes to our delivery of the message as well as the environment and culture.